Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6
Character development begins when your child is small. There’s natural wisdom, and there’s spiritual wisdom. Natural wisdom is communicated by words, observations, and attitudes, and children hear and observe those things in the daily course of life. Every family has a certain way of doing things, but spiritual wisdom, God’s wisdom, is infinitely more valuable than that of your family.
The Hebrew word train means to narrow. When you train a child, you narrow his choices. For example, a child may have many options from which to make choices about how he spends his time, but you limit the options. You say, “I am not going to allow you to look at porn on the computer. I’m not going to allow you to go certain places.”
You may say, “I trust my kids. I let them do whatever they want.” You do not love your kids if you do not actively train your children in God’s ways. When the Bible talks about training, it means to do something repetitively. Everyone needs to hear the same thing again and again. In fact, psychologists say that the average person has to hear something seven times before it starts to sink in.
The word train also means to initiate, to discipline a child in the way her or she should go. Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him (Proverbs 22:15).
In Hebrew, the word correction means chastisement, instruction, warning, and doctrine; thus, the rod of chastisement also means the rod of instruction, the rod of warning, and the rod of doctrine. I’m not talking about punching a child with your fist or smacking that child across the face. I’m not talking about throwing the child down the stairs or hitting your child in anger. Never! That is wrong. You should never touch your child when you are angry. Wait until you have cooled down and are rational. At that point, you can sit face-to-face with your child and instruct him.
Prayer for Today
Father,
Your Word is a light unto my path. Thank you for instructing me in the way to train my child to be a person who responds to you in obedience and integrity. Thank you for renewing my mind with your truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Selah: Think on These Things
- Genesis 18:19
- Psalm 78:3-6
